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1Ti_1:9-10. Εἰδὼς τοῦτο ] is not to be referred to οἴδαμεν , but to τις , i.e. to the teacher of the church. The use of the same verb is against the construction with οἴδαμεν . As to the meaning of the word, it is to be observed that here, as in many other passages of the N. T., it expresses not only the idea of knowing, but also that of “weighing, considering.” De Wette says, “as he knows and considers.” The law is rightly used only when it is considered that, etc.
ὅτι δικαίῳ νόμος οὐ κεῖται ] We may, with Hofmann, take this sentence quite generally, so as to understand by νόμος not any special law, but law in general, and by δίκαιος any one who does rightly, φύσει , and not for the law’s sake (Theophylact: ὃς διʼ αὐτὸ τὸ καλὸν τὴν τε πονηρίαν μισεῖ καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν περιπτύσσεται ). In that case we would have the same thought here as in Antiph. ad Stobaeum, 9: ὁ μηδὲν ἀδικῶν οὐδενὸς δεῖται νόμου (comp. also the expression of Socrates in Clemens Alex. Stromata, iv. 678: νόμον ἕνεκεν ἀγαθῶν οὐκ ἂν γενέσθαι ).
The sentence, however, may also be taken in such a way as to make νόμος the Mosaic law (notwithstanding the omission of the article; comp. Rom_2:12; Rom_2:14; Rom_2:23, al.), and δίκαιος the righteous man in the specially Christian sense, i.e. the man who, in faith as a child of God, fulfils the divine will in the free obedience of the spirit. In that case we have here the thought which forms the fundamental idea of Paul’s view regarding the relations of the Christian to the law (comp. Rom_6:14; Gal_5:18, al.). As Paul in 1Ti_1:11 appeals to the gospel entrusted to him for confirmation of the thought expressed in this verse, the connection of ideas decidedly favours the latter view, which is adopted also by Matthies, de Wette, Wiesinger, Van Oosterzee, et al.
κεῖται ] has not, as Heydenreich thinks probable, the additional notion of an oppressive burden; νόμος κεῖται , simply means, according to a usage current even in profane writings: “the law is given, exists.” Otto rightly remarks: “the νόμος κείμενος is one which has not only been given, but is still valid.” The collocation does not occur elsewhere in the N. T.; comp., however, Luk_2:34 (Php_1:16); 1Th_3:3; especially also 2Ma_4:11.
If the law was not given for the δίκαιος (as the heretics falsely maintained), then it is valid only for the ἄδικος . This thought Paul emphasizes by pointing out the nature of the ἄδικος in various aspects, mentioning them at first in pairs.
ἀνόμοις δὲ καὶ ἀνυποτάκτοις ] These two ideas, which express the most decided contrast, are rightly placed first. Ἄνομοι , in 1Co_9:21, means the heathen (Rom_2:14 : ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα ); but here it means those who withstand the law, who do not serve the law, but their own pleasure; comp. Mar_15:28.
To this corresponds the following ἀνυπότακτοι (only here and in Tit_1:6; Tit_1:10; comp. Heb_2:8), as a designation of those who submit themselves to no higher will, no higher order. It is quite arbitrary, with Tittmann and Leo, to refer ἀνομ . to divine, and ἀνυπ . to human ordinances.
ἀσεβέσι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς ] These ideas (found together also in 1Pe_4:18 and in Wisd. 41:5) are distinguished from the foregoing by a more definite reference to God; ἀσεβής (used by Paul only here and in Rom_4:5; Rom_5:6) is the man who does not stand in awe, who has no holy awe of God in his heart.
ἀνοσίοις καὶ βεβήλοις ] give prominence to the opposition to what is holy. Ἀνόσιος (again in 2Ti_3:2), when joined with ἀσεβής in the classical usage, refers to the injury of human rights (Xenophon, Cyrop. viii. 8. 13: ἀσεβεστέρους περὶ θεοὺς , καὶ ἀνοσιωτέρους περὶ συγγενεῖς ). This distinction, however, cannot here be pressed. βέβηλος , which occurs only in the Epistles to Timothy and in Heb_12:16 (the verb βεβηλόω in Mat_12:5; Act_24:6), is synonymous with ἀνόσιος . In these first three pairs the ἄδικοι are characterized as those who stand opposed to what is divine, recognising no divine law, and having no awe of God, and whose life is not consecrated by communion with God.
The ideas that follow refer, on the other hand, to our relations with our neighbour.
πατραλῴαις καὶ μητραλῴαις ] only here in N. T.: parricides and matricides. Hesychius explains them: ὁ τὸν πατέρα ἀτιμάζων , τύπτων , ἢ κτείνων ; and similarly Matthies: “those who actually assault father and mother.” As the word occurs in this wider sense in Demosth. 732, 14; Lys. 348, ult.; Plato, Phaed. chap. 62, it may be so taken here. At least we cannot, with de Wette, quote the following ἀνδροφόνοις as a cogent reason against it.
ἀνδροφόνοις ] 2Ma_9:28; ἅπαξ λεγόμ . in N. T.; the compound is selected to correspond with the previous words.
πόρνοις , ἀρσενοκοίταις ] refer to un-chastity, the one towards the female, the other towards the male sex; for this latter, comp. Rom_1:27; 1Co_6:9.
ἀνδραποδισταῖς ] The Scholiast on Aristoph. Plut. v. 521, says: εἴρηται ἀνδραποδιστὴς παρὰ τὸ ἄνδρα ἀποδίδοσθαι , τουτέστι πωλεῖν . This crime is often mentioned in Greek authors; but also in Exo_21:16; Deu_24:7.
ψεύσταις , ἐπιόρκοις ] stand both in opposition to truthfulness; ἐπίορκος is one who wantonly breaks an oath, as well as one who swears something false.
We cannot help seeing that in enumerating these various classes of the ἄδικοι , the apostle has had the Decalogue in mind, not adhering to it strictly, but partly extending, partly limiting it, still without departing from its order.
In order to describe the ἀδικία as a whole, the apostle adds: καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ ἀντίκειται .
The expression ἡ ὑγιαίν . διδασκ . is one of those which only occur in the Pastoral Epistles, and help to give them a peculiar impress; comp. 2Ti_4:3; Tit_2:1; Tit_1:9.
In 1Ti_6:3 and in 2Ti_1:13, we have ὑγιαίνοντες λόγοι ; in Tit_2:8, λόγος ὑγιής . In these epistles ὑγιαίνειν is even used figuratively in another connection; thus Tit_1:13; Tit_2:2 ( νοσεῖν in opposite sense, 1Ti_6:4); elsewhere in the N. T. it occurs only in its proper meaning. The expression διδασκαλία is particularly frequent in these epistles, sometimes denoting “the doctrine” (so here) in the objective sense, sometimes subjectively, “the teaching” (comp. chap. 1Ti_4:1; 1Ti_4:6; 1Ti_4:13; 1Ti_4:16, al.; 2Ti_3:10; 2Ti_4:3; Tit_1:9 ff.).
He lays emphasis on sound doctrine, as opposed to the ματαιολογία of the heretics. Luther translates ὑγιαίνουσα inaccurately by “wholesome;” the wholesomeness is only the result of the soundness. By ἡ ὑγιαίν . διδ . is here meant the pure gospel, free from all foreign admixture, having nothing unclean or sickly in it. The apostle here is certainly thinking chiefly of the ethical side of the διδασκ .; still Leo is wrong in translating it “sound morality.” By the form εἴ … ἀντίκειται Paul gives us to understand that there are indeed other forms and shapes of unrighteousness, incompatible with the pure doctrine of the gospel. The neuter form τὶ ἕτερον is strange. In explanation, we might appeal to passages like 1Co_1:17, Heb_7:7, and others, where the neuter denotes persons; but the use of the verb ἀντίκειται is against this. It is better to regard it as a transition from persons to things.[58]
[58] As Wiesinger rightly remarks, vv. 9 and 10 show that the apostle is not contending here against actual Judaizers, but “against such as consider the law a means of attaining to a still higher moral perfection.”